Alone Together #10 The Church is not Closed

Contrary to headlines, the church is not closed. We are not currently meeting in a building. However, we do have unprecedented, unlimited, solid, biblical resources for input, training, teaching, and gathering online. Geographic divisions have disappeared. Our congregations can include people across the state and across the world. I am talking with pastors who are seeing far more people join their community than ever before. People are hungry and looking for something or Someone eternal. If there was ever a time we needed one another, it is now. Now is when we figure out if our faith works. Good news: We are released from a building out into the world to minister any way God might use us.

This is not easy by any means. We can’t do most of how we usually do church. Ministry is a challenge. Pastors are concerned for their flocks. Giving is way down. Staff are worried about their positions. We look forward to being able to sit together and talk face to face. It will be wonderful to hear congregations sing together at the top of our lungs. May we never take a hug for granted again. In the meantime, how can we be the Body of Christ today?

“I had many things to write to you, but I am not willing to write them to you with pen and ink; but I hope to see you shortly, and we will speak face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.”

(3 John 13-15)

How do Paul, Peter, and John care for people from prison? How do they do church without a building? How did the first century church commit to love and unity while often isolated from one another? How can we love our faith community? How can we share Christ with a world that needs to see Him?

The Church is not closed. It’s requiring some extra thought and creativity, but I’m so encouraged by how I’m seeing The Church BE the Body of Christ. I am seeing the Church:

• Praying

• Worshipping

• Learning

• Feeding the hungry

• Donating money and materials

• Helping with repairs

• Running food banks

• Making masks

• Donating blood

• Checking in on one another

• Comforting those in grief

• Buying groceries and running errands for neighbors

• Writing cards

• Getting creative

One believer in my neighborhood left a note on the mailbox offering to shop for those at high risk. Kind people have left groceries safely on my porch. Others have received wonderful, encouraging cards by actual snail mail. People have listened to that quiet whisper to contact someone the Holy Spirit lays on their heart. People are calling to check on those who need a boost. People are calling old friends they haven’t chatted with in years.

Today I invite you to read Paul’s Prison Epistles: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. How did Paul encourage community and love on people while physically distant? How might God use us, individually and corporately to BE the Body of Christ? What suggestions is the Holy Spirit whispering in your ear?

Alone Together #9 Celebrate Sabbath

Really enjoying being with you all for Bible study and visiting on Tuesday nights. So good to be with friends from Australia, England, New Hampshire, Missouri, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, and many places in Ohio, including Oregonia, the center of the universe. Last night we studied how to handle a national crisis according to 2 Chronicles 20:1-30. Thanks so much for joining me. Feel free to share the link with anyone, anywhere.

We have a unique, mandated opportunity right now to celebrate sabbath while we shelter at home. If you’ve never been with me when I teach this over a weekend or at least a whole day, join me for a full face-to-face retreat sometime soon.

“To act as if the world cannot get along without our work for one day in seven is a startling display of pride that denies the sufficiency of our generous Maker.”—Dorothy Bass

In the meantime, whether this is a review or an introduction, consider integrating these four elements over a 24 hour period:

1.            Ceasing

2.            Resting

3.            Embracing

4.            Feasting

Ceasing—literally stop. Stop anything you must, should, or ought to do.

Psalm 46:10

Psalm 127:2

Deuteronomy 16:8

Psalm 27

Luke 10:38-42

• Am I available to everyone 24/7/365?

• Do I suffer (and cause others to suffer from my) CPA—Continuous Partial Attention?

• Who or what receives 100% of me?

• What does it take for me to come to a complete stop, turn the engines off, and let the idling cease?

• Can I power down everything with an on/off switch for 24 hours without twitching?

• Am I afraid of silence? Why?

• How can I integrate ceasing into my life?

• Where can I create “mini-sabbaths”?

• How can I rearrange my life so I have 24 hours each week without anything I ought, should, must, feel obligated, or have to do?

Resting-- When was the last time you were completely at rest, engine shut off and cooled down, tanks topped off?

• Am I sleep deprived?

• What drives me?

• Does my leisure time restore me? Or just waste time?

• What relaxes me?

• How can I experience genuine rest…

  • Physically

  • Mentally

  • Emotionally

  • Spiritually

Embracing—How do I most effectively and wonderfully engage with the important people in my life?

• Am I genuinely connecting with

• God?

• Self?

• Others?

• Friends?

• Family?

• Life?

• Where do I have true fellowship and community?

• Who are the life-giving friends in my life?

• How can I embrace the people in my life?

• What activities do I enjoy with others?

• What do we enjoy doing together as a family?

• What does it mean to me to truly enjoy time with God?

Feasting-- What feeds my soul, what is God-honoring celebration, Joy without darkness?

• Where is the God-honoring pleasure in my life?

• When do I sense God smiling?

• Do I know how to play?

• What special elements can I add to make the Sabbath a feast?

• How can I celebrate the goodness of God?

• How is God calling me to enjoy my day with Him…?

  • Reading a non-ministry, non-leadership, non-improving book

  • Walking, running, biking

  • Spending all day at the park

  • A wonderful meal in (and out, once we are free to go out)

  • Playing games

  • Projects

  • Tinkering and puttering

• Word

• Worship

• Prayer

• Play

• Sports

• Art

• Music

• Dancing

• Good food

• Movies

• A special event (online, for right now)

• Crafts

• Favorite foods

• Fun and laughter

Sabbath is a life-giving celebration of out trust in our Creator. May we use the take advantage of this surreal time to use it for something truly wonderful!

Alone Together #8 But Now

We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our Song!

As we meditate and celebrate Holy Week, I invite you to read 1 Corinthians 15 and watch this video: https://youtu.be/G_OlRWGLdnw

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

(1 Cor 15:3-5)

I love Easter. Not because of the bunnies and eggs (although I am certainly not opposed to any form of chocolate), but because our faith literally rises or falls on the resurrection of Jesus. “If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:19) This is followed by one of the greatest phrases in all Scripture: But now. History (and Life and Scripture) records time after time when life is dark, when evil appears to have won, when all hope seems lost, when it feels like we’ve been abandoned, when we appear doomed. A bit like now? Suddenly, a plot twist! But God. But now. 119 times in Scripture. …But God. …But now. The Word is all about life taking place where death has been.

But now Christ has been raised from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:20)

Jesus dies on Friday. All hope seems lost. But God raises Jesus on Sunday… A lot of us are living in Saturday right now in many different ways, trying to hold onto hope, stuck in between death and resurrection. Our world and our Lord are calling us to a Long Obedience in the Same Direction. And some days are harder than others. A lot of people are hurting and anxious and stuck in Saturday.

I encourage you to take some time to reflect:

• On Friday: atonement, sacrifice, honest assessment, confession, surrender, lament, tears, gratitude, forgiveness, identification with Christ in His death.

• On Saturday: getting real with bewilderment, doubts, uncertainty, discouragement, struggles, grief, weariness, frustration, wherever "I do believe; help my unbelief." (Mark 9:24) or honest wrestling with feelings of "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt 27:46) If Jesus could voice His heartbreaking emotions, so can we.

• On Sunday: celebration and identification with the new life of Christ. Dancing and singing and feasting and embracing our risen Lord and those we love. Expressing our worship and joy to God. Expressing our love for those who share in our New Community. Party down! Safely and remotely and six feet apart or online. But somehow, CELEBRATE!

“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. ‘O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O  DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor 15:51-58)

Easter 2020 will be different for most of us. But I pray it will be very special and extra meaningful. This week in 2020 is very challenging. …But God…!

He IS Risen! He is Risen Indeed!